A police investigation has been launched after a 12-year-old schoolgirl discovered classmates sharing an indecent photograph of her online.

The case has raised fears that more children are being coaxed into sharing compromising pictures which are then distributed without their knowledge.

Officers have urged other potential victims to come forward in a bid to crack down on the abusive practice.

The girl's mother said that her daughter, who is now 13, had sent a picture of her cleavage to a male friend.

Sharing: St Kentigern's Academy is one of three schools in Blackburn, West Lothian where indecent photographs of schoolgirls have been shared among pupils

But she was then included in a Facebook conversation which saw her photograph shared with other classmates, along with other compromising pictures of young girls.

She immediately quit the thread of messages, but the pictures are believed to have been shared among pupils at three schools in Blackburn, West Lothian - Armadale Academy, Bathgate Academy and St Kentigern's High.

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Her mother said: 'My daughter feels very embarrassed and shocked. This shouldn't be happening. It's across the schools in West Lothian. The officer I spoke to said the more people he spoke to, the more he heard about it happening.'

She added that friends of her daughter had also been persuaded to send topless or nude pictures to boys they knew, and called for school authorities to do more to safeguard pupils.

'The parents should be made aware of this,' she said. '[The schools] have known about this for months.'

Schools: Pupils at Bathgate Academy, left, and Armadale Academy, right, have also been sharing the photos

Police Scotland confirmed that they had received a formal complaint about the abusive behaviour in November last year, and called for other children affected by the issue to speak to them.

A spokesman said: 'Police in West Lothian are investigating following allegations that indecent images of a 13-year-old girl were shared on social media.

'Inquiries are ongoing and we urge any other victims to come forward.

'Tackling the creation and sharing of indecent images is a priority for Police Scotland, with all complaints received thoroughly investigated.

'We provide specialist support to victims and target offenders to bring them to justice.'

A West Lothian Council spokesman added: 'We take the online safety of our pupils very seriously and are currently working closely with police on this matter.

'Schools and parents both have an important role to play in helping make young people aware of the dangers of inappropriate internet communication.'